Andalas University (UNAND) in partnership with USAID’s Higher Education Leadership and Management (USAID-HELM) project and Arizona State University hosted the latest Leadership Education for Engineering Accreditation Program (LEEAP) workshop from 25th – 29th January 2016. The event which took place at the campus’ Senate Auditorium demonstrates Andalas University’s commitment to achieving international accreditation for its Faculty of Engineering in addition to its ongoing support for the LEEAP programme. Participants were given the opportunity to partake in a number of workshop topics on Faculty Development as well as on Programme Assessment and Evaluation.

Prominent guests in attendance included Andalas University’s recently appointed Rector, Prof. Dr. Tafdil Husni MBA along with representatives from Arizona State University, Dr. Kathy Wigal, Dr. David Benson, and Mr Jeffry Goss; USAID-HELM was represented by Chief of Party Dr. Andrea Bosch and Quality Assurance Specialist Dr. Abdul Rahman. The fourth instalment of the LEEAP workshop provided participants with important insights as a means of initiating collaborative opportunities between industry players and academic institutions. “We really appreciate HELM’s support towards UNAND through the LEEAP programme. We are well-prepared and are enthusiastic in gaining further knowledge as well as expanding our skillset through this programme,” stated Andalas University’s Dean of the Faculty of Engineering – who is also the LEEAP Coordinator – Prof. Dr. Ing. Hairul Abral. As a university that is open to sharing know-how to strengthen the academic community, Andalas University’s most recent LEEAP workshop was also attended by fellow local higher education institutions including Hasanuddin University and Padang State University.

Through the LEEAP workshop, Andalas University showcases the extensive efforts made in becoming an internationally-accredited university as seen through its global approach to expand upon its capabilities. To move forward with its plans of attaining international accreditation, Andalas University will cooperate with the American Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as well as the ASEAN University Network Quality Assurance (AUN-QA); the aforementioned organisations are to overview Andalas University’s readiness to obtain international accreditation for its Faculty of Engineering.